Diarrhea is a common accompaniment of chronic alcoholism. Recent studies have shown that chronic ethanol intake produces secretion of water and electrolytes in the entire length of the human small intestine. The exact mechanism of this secretion is unknown but it seems clear that alcohol exerts its effects by a systemic rather than local effect. The long range objective of the present proposal is to further examine the mechanisms that may be responsible for the secretion of H2O and electrolytes by the chronic intake of ethanol. Mucosal concentrations of enzymes associated with absorption and secretion of water and electrolytes and surface digestion will be measured. The absorption of amino acids will be measured by the perfusion technique and the functional integrity of the small intestine will be examined by measuring the pancreozymin release by the intestine secondary to physiologic stimuli. Finally, an attempt will be made to alter the functional abnormalities produced by ethanol.